Contrived or not, Columbus crowd rocked

United States fans hold up scarves as they sing the national Anthem before the start of the qualifying soccer match against Mexico in a World Cup, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2013, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
— AP

United States fans hold up scarves as they sing the national Anthem before the start of the qualifying soccer match against Mexico in a World Cup, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2013, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
/ AP

The great legacy of the game might not be that the 2-0 scoreline sent the United States to soccer’s 2014 World Cup and sent Mexico into a further tailspin. It might be who watched it.

The 24,584 at soldout Crew Stadium was not the largest crowd to see the U.S. national team. It was the loudest, though, and the most partisan and most patriotic (and maybe most inebriated, too).

At its core, much of what happened Tuesday was contrived, more scripted than spontaneous, more nurture than nature.

U.S. Soccer allocated more than one-third of the stadium to official supporters clubs, and it limited access to the general public (read: anybody in green) through carefully orchestrated presales and offers to Columbus Crew season-ticket holders. And it artificially capped supply amid enormous demand by playing in a bare-bones MLS stadium while sacrificing a good $3 million in potential gate when it probably could have filled the modern 104,000-seat Ohio Stadium a couple exits down the Interstate.

As fans walked in, they were handed red “Land of the free” scarves and duly instructed to hold them aloft during the national anthem – something European fans do without prompting.

And all those chants you heard on TV emanating from the supporters section behind the north goal? A badly out-of-key “capo” was telling folks over a loudspeaker what to sing and when, while others with their backs to the game demonstrated the proper claps and arm movements. (This is where members of “The Show,” San Diego State’s irreverent and impulsive student section, cringe.)

That said, the atmosphere was electric and relentless and impactful, unlike anything an opposing team has experienced on these shores and something many U.S. fans never thought they’d live to see or hear.

“That’s what we face when we go away,” Landon Donovan said, “and it’s nice that other teams have to face it when they come here.”

What next?

The United States and Costa Rica clinched World Cup spots Tuesday night. That leaves Honduras (11 points), Mexico (eight) and Panama (eight) fighting for the lone remaining automatic ticket to Brazil or a spot in a last-chance playoff against Oceania champion New Zealand.

Two games remain, Oct. 11 and 15. Someone’s not gonna make it.

The most dramatic moment of Tuesday’s qualifiers was a 90th-minute equalizer by Panama to salvage a 2-2 tie at Honduras, an outcome Mexico can view two ways. One: It kept Honduras and the third automatic spot within striking distance, although El Tri would probably have to win its final two qualifiers (home against Panama, away to Costa Rica) and get help from others. Two: It allowed Panama to pull even with El Tri in fourth place, and Panama currently owns the tiebreaker.

The plan was for Mexican federation brass to convene with interim coach Luis Fernando Tena on Wednesday and chart a way forward, with or without him. In his post-game comments, Tena didn’t sound like a man who’ll be around much longer after another lackluster performance that looked suspiciously similar to what we saw under his former boss, Jose Manuel de la Torre.